The current educational system doesn’t benefit our society as much as it should. Most of a child’s education is based around teaching them absolute basics and then covers an academic set of subjects which have little in the way of practical application. Aretecracy hopes to change this.
Primary school will remain largely unaltered, however it will not begin until the age of 6 and children will not be taught history at this age, instead they will be taught social and basic life skills.
The school day will start at 9am and finish at 4pm, it will consist of six timetabled slots, each lasting an hour. At primary school 2 of these slots will be a free period where the children can play, rest and eat.
At the age of 12 they will enter secondary school. The school day will remain the same, however one of the free periods will be removed. At this stage, an additional hour will be added to the day to allow for extra curricular tasks, this will be optional and will work much the same as current after-school programs.
The core subjects will be changed.
The government will set the national curriculum, much the same as they do now. However there will be some changes to the core subjects that children are taught.
English Language and Literature
This will put more emphasis on how to speak and write correctly and the literature will be chosen based on the likelihood of it igniting a love of reading in the children. As the students time at school progresses, children of similar tastes will be grouped together as much as possible so that their English Literature lessons become more like book clubs which they can hopefully enjoy.
Basic mathematics.
The ability for people to do advanced mathematics in their heads is becoming an almost useless ability with practically everyone having a calculator in their pockets. Instead they will be taught basic mathematics and financial management skills. Advanced mathematics will be available as a college or university course and as an extra-curricular course for those who show an interest.
The Sciences
This will be reworked in order to fascinate students and make them truly appreciate the magnificence of the world, as a result it will be more advanced than current science classes but will focus less on the mathematics side of things. As real world science is an interplay of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, all three will be taught as part of the same subject.
The primary goal of this subject will be to introduce the concept of critical thought and to stoke the fires of passion for those who really take an interest.
History
Again the curriculum will be altered to change the subject matter of history. Rather than learn who invented the ‘Spinning Jenny’ or finding out about the agricultural reforms of England; Students will learn about Interesting subjects such as The Second World War and the rise and fall of the Roman Empire.
Above all, the stories taught to children will attempt to make them see history as something that happened to humanity with an emphasis on the impact (both good and bad) an individual can have on the future. Subjects involving revolution will be emphasised and an important part of the curriculum will involve teaching children about where democracy and capitalism failed us and how we can avoid making those mistakes in the future. Older students will be able to select from different types of history (e.g. Ancient History, Military History, Maritime History etc…)
Social Studies
This will not be the same as the current incarnation of this lesson; instead it will be a subject dedicated to bringing the best out of a student. Essentially a continuation of the social skills classes from primary school. It will teach students how to get the most from society, how to behave in social situations and above all else, how to think for themselves instead of automatically accepting what they have been told.
Life skills
In this subject, students will be taught advanced computer skills (such as programming) and they will also be taught how to undertake basic maintenance. Such as how to rewire a plug or fix a blocked sink. The emphasis on this subject will be to teach students how to take care of themselves and see technology as a tool to enrich their lives.
Cooking
What was once an optional class (or often, something seen as a class for girls) will now become a mandatory part of the curriculum, the ability to prepare and cook your own meals is a life skill too few people possess.
Creativity
Creating works of art will always be an integral part of our society, in this subject, students will be taught to paint, draw, sculpt, write and compose.
Gifted Students
Some students show promise at an early age and in these children, special considerations should be taken. If the school they currently attend has advanced education classes then the gifted students may join these, if not then they will be moved to a school which can accommodate their advanced abilities.
Vocational Students
Some students do not do their best in an academic environment. If they choose to, from the age of 12 and upwards they may be transferred to a vocational school which will teach children practical skills as part of their core education instead of more academic endeavours.
Note: This is not a ‘special needs’ school, it is a school which will allow students to get a well rounded education even if they do not enjoy/do well in academic establishments.
Advancement
The subjects above will be taught in a general and unfocused way for the first 2 years of school, providing students with a sample of various different types of subject matter.
At the end of the second year, students will be allowed to choose any number of specialisms from the classes above (e.g. The sciences will once again be split into physics, chemistry and biology), they will be able to pick up and drop new classes as their timetable allows between the third and fifth years of school. The only classes that will be mandatory at this stage will be English, Maths, Life skills, Cooking and Social Studies. They will still be required to attend the minimum number of classes on their timetable however, so they will need to fill the rest with their favourite subjects from History, Creativity and the Sciences.
At this point they are not entitled to choose an employment specialism but if they have one in mind this is the best time to tailor their classes to work towards excelling in that field. (E.g. someone who wishes to become a marine biologist may wish to take classes in Biology, Chemistry, Technical Drawing and Maritime History).
College/University will no longer be something a child will choose to go to, it will be a natural next-step from school and will be mandatory. Mandatory education under Aretecracy starts at 6 and finishes at 21. This will be split into the following age ranges:
6 – 12: Primary school. 12 – 18: Secondary School 18 – 21: University
University education will remain largely the same as current universities are now and will be there to teach students advanced skills they may require to go into their chosen fields.
The goal is to create critical thinkers
You may have noticed, perhaps even been surprised to notice earlier that a lot of subjects in the new curriculum actually foster a revolutionary spirit.
The new generation of children raised under Aretecractic rule will not be taught to obey orders or to believe things at face value. They will be gifted with a critical mind and the ability to think laterally, they will be taught that the world as it stands isn’t the best thing it can be and that sticking to the status quo is rarely a good thing.
Institutional systems – especially systems of governance – should always be watched closely and held accountable to its people as inevitably, given time, corruption will set in as it always does under any system where there is a concentration of power.
The children of the new world will not tolerate corruption the way we do, they will stand up and fight for their rights and eventually they will hopefully consider rebellion against any system which attempts to subjugate, deceive or hurt them.
As Thomas Jefferson once wrote:
“When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.”
Of course in an ideal world, nobody need fear anybody else.
The Grading System
Say goodbye to meaningless grades. All of that will be scrapped and replaced with one grade which you will contribute to your entire life. The Employment Index (EI for short).
When you start school, your EI is 0, as you go through school, your EI will grow, the harder you work, the higher your EI. There will be no exams and no homework, students will not be penalised for making mistakes and helping other students to find the right answer will be thought of as collaboration, rather than being labeled cheating.
Teachers will assess each student over the course of a semester and at the end will submit a recommended EI update for that class, after all of a students EI recommendations have been accounted for, an average will be calculated and the EI score augmented.
The EI is only a score but attached to that EI will be an additional report. It will not contain any opinions, it will simply be a list of proficiencies, if for example a student shows a proclivity towards creative writing, this will be added to the EI report.
Post Graduation
Your EI will continue to be added to throughout your life. Under Aretecracy nobody is forced to work, however those who do will receive additional benefits and people will be encouraged to do so. The sort of job an individual can get will be based on two things: Their Grace and, of course, their EI. The higher those two are, the better the job will be.
Additionally, proving yourself to be a hard worker will cause your EI to increase and developing additional skills to a high level will also add to your EI report, making you more desirable to employers.
Post Graduate Education
At 21, your mandatory education period ends and you are free to go and live your life as you please. However some people will wish to begin careers which will require a specialist education (like a Doctor for example). At this point (and at any point in that persons life) they will be able to attend any post-graduate school to take any courses they wish to take. Of course their progress on these courses will all add to their EI.
Many children do not study at school as their age causes them not not see the importance of education, hopefully the new curriculum will mitigate this to a large degree but there will still be some students who may not do well at school. However their EI can be updated at any point in their lives and post-graduate education will help anyone to reach an employable standard.